Arizona weekly enterprise., 1887-05-28
HRRIGATING CANALS.
How the Florence Farms Flour
 ish ln Dry Times.

Florence is picturesquely situated among the finest farming lands that were ever created, in the valley of the Gila river. From ten miles above the town, to an indefinite distance below it, the valley is broad and fertile, with abun- dant water for irrigation. There are green fields of grass and golden grain; pretty homes nestling among the great trees and half hidden with vines and bril- liant flowers, where one meets with ever changing glimpses of rural scenery that are in chesrful contrast to the desola- tion of the unwatered tracts. Even the streets of Florence are supplied with coR tinuous streams of running water upon either side, and the precious liquid is used with prodigal hand, that is a stran ger to economy. It is safe to say that the duty of the water now supplied by the various private and corporation ditch es could be easily doubled with fair ex- orcise of economy in its use and manage ment.
 In and about Florence, from @ few miles above to short distance below the town there are no less than ten distinct irrigating ditches now in use, all of them b icing north of sthe Florence canal under construction. They are eapa- ble of irrigating nearly, if not quite, 30, 900 acres of land by the flooding system, or five times that quantity by sub-irriga- tion.
 The Brash ditch Is taken from the Gila mile or two below the Buttes, and Is five miles in length It is south of the Florence canal and irrigates about 12OO acres in Round Valley.
 The Montezuma ditch is the first one north of the Florence canal. It is now completed fer distance of six miles and is to be built six miles further It is the property of an incorporated company and | irrigates 5000 acres of land.
 The next is Pat Hollands ditch, which is seven miles long and irrigates about 5000 acres of land
 The fourth is the Alamo Amarillo, owned by an incorporated company. It is seven miles long and while it irrigates but 5000 acres 1t Is capable of supplylr s 10000 acres.
 The next is the Adamsville ditch, the property of the Chsrouleau brothers. It is four miles long and irrfgates 1900 acres.
 Next in order is the Brady ditch, l the nearest enc to the river and below all the others. It Is but four miles long and 1 irrigates about 5000 acres with its branch es. This ditch also furnishes the water power for Mir. Brady's Touring mill. The river bed at Florence carries flow ing water for eight months in the year and is dry only during the summer months when the water is low and the IT, rigating ditches carry full heads. Beyond the river, on the north side, the first ditch is Tom McClellan's. It irrigates between 600 and 700 acres, but is capable of far greater duty.
 Next comes the Stiles ditch, which Is five miles long and irrigates 800 acres.
 The last is the Spinas brothers ditch, four miles long, by which they have rs- claimed two sections of desert land with 1 plenty of water to irrigate even more ianu
 These ten ditches flow full of water constantly ard, as before stated, they ir- rigate nearly 30,000 acres of as choice l farming lands as the sun shines upon. Not only does the water irrigate, but it brings down fine sediment of rare fer tilizing qualities that keeps the land en- riched even where two or three crops per year are produced.
 With these facilities for irrigating, added to those the great canal will fur nish, there is nothing short of divine interposition in the shape of a direful ca lamity that can stay the flood of progress and enterprise for this favored section ei the footstool